If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

New category: Commercial

So, I just read the 07 rules and saw the new category. How exciting, hopefully, we see lot's of comercial entries on exhibit. Hmmmmmm, I wonder who the judges will be and how would they be qualified to judge commercial entries.

Marc
There has been a commercial catagory in the past. We have jurrors that are commercial qualified jurrors. I am not on PEC and the set up may have changed, but it used to be judged by a panel of 3 commercial jurrors and 2 portrait open jurrors.
I will see if I can find out if there are any changes to the judging for commercial and get back to you.
Keith

Marc Heres the scoop. Commercial has been around since we can remember. The only affiliated judging that can give a seal of approval for the merit is South East. So to have a chance to recieve a merit you need to send to South East or the International Judging. For those that do not know any image recieveing an 80 or above at an affiliated judging recieves a seal of approval on the back. This means that the image automaticly recieves the merit if you send the image to the international judging (national) and it is then judged for loan collection. You can send images to the international judging with out seals and they are judged for deserving of merit using the thumbs system (no points). Those judged deserving of merit recieve the merit and go on to be judged for the loan collection as well.
The catagories under the Portrait Open are:Portrait Open - includes portraits, illistrative and wedding (everything except commercial and albums)CommercialAlbums - Wedding or any other subject you want to enter as an album- actual album and cd album.
Any combination of the above can be in your Portrait Open Print Case and merits from these apply toward your Master of Photography Degree.
It is my understanding that cd albums may not be available at all affiliate judgings. I know it is available at Heart of America and South East.

There is also an EI catagory and an Art/Tech catagory. Each is a seperate print case and fee. Merits from the EI apply toward the Masters of Electronic Imagaing and Merits from the Art/Tech apply toward the Master Artist Degree.
You can enter 4 images per case and a max of 1 case in each of the PO, EI and Art/Tech. So you could have 3 cases with 12 images and work toward 3 different degrees.
Hope this helps. Keith

As to the question of how are the judges qualified to judge. After you recieve your masters, you can take a class on merit images. After competion of the class you must judge at unafiliated judgings and recieve so many critiques from affiliated jurrors you judged with. This needs to be done within 2 years of the class I believe unless it has been changed. Your critiques are looked at by PEC (Photographic Exhibitions Committee) as well as the images that you recieved merits on. So if you recieved a bunch of your merits from commercial then you could be qualified as a commercial judge. Like wise if your merits are album and wedding you can be qualified as a album/wedding juror. Here is the catch PEC wants the judges to be well qualified so if all you merits were say flowers or senics, it may be hard to make it as a judge because they need you to be able to judge the PO catagory. If you want to become a judge enter a variety of images. Show that you can merit portraits, wedding and illistrative (senic) work. The speciality areas, Art/Tech, EI and commercial need their merit images to reflect those areas. The more areas you are qualified to judge makes it easier for print chairman to find the mix of judges they need.
Keith

PS Once you become a jurror, every time you judge an affiliated or national your Jurry Forman fills out a critique of your abilities as a jurror and these are sent in to PEC. Once every 3 years the jurrors must take a refresher course at IUSA to continue. The jurrors also must continue to merit images. These things are done to assure that the jurrors continue to be well qualified and up to date. Jurrors want to share with others and have every image merit. If you ask them for critiques while they are at an event they will gladly share with you.
Keith

I know about the commercial categories in the state/regional levels and thanks for the refresher on the PEC qualifying process.

For some reason, I was thinking that there might be an actual "commercial" panel/room where true working commercial photographers whom are associated with PPA's sister group Commercial Photographers International are the judges.

Also, I wonder why now did it get it's own category on the form? Will there be a separate section in the exhibit starting this year?

Marc There always was a commercial room at national and print images are displayed at IUSA (mixed into the display), Transparencies usually are not displayed at IUSA because of how to display them, they would all need light boxes plus risk of damage loss etc. When you look at the number of images at national judging usually 1 room on the first day is art tech till done then it becomes EI till done. This usually finishes the first day. A room is commercial till done Then it is albums till done. One room starts out as PO loan and the other room starts out as PO. Usually on the second day we will get to 2 rooms PO and 2 Rooms Loan with a room set for cd albums. That gets worked till most PO images are though the first time then it goes to 3 loan rooms. Critiques are on going the whole time in I believe 4 rooms of thier own. Hope this answers your questions. I know Jim Dingwell said he put the catagories in bold this year maybe that is why you see it as different.
Keith